


Beartrap

by LoveMachine



Category: Epithet Erased (Cartoon)
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, Fluff, Or as slow as a small fic could be, Pining, Slow Burn, angst apparently
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22160503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveMachine/pseuds/LoveMachine
Summary: Molly finds some bum in the bushes.
Relationships: Molly Blyndeff/Giovanni Potage
Comments: 90
Kudos: 87





	1. Hidden in the leaves

**Author's Note:**

> Since there were 0 Giovanni/Molly fics on the entire site, I decided to provide. Be warned, I consider this my first fanfic, so expectations shouldn't be too high. My tumblr is http://gorehoundclown.tumblr.com/

Molly walked home from Saturday school, feeling just as tired as when she rose to leave the shop four hours ago. _Getting this kind of punishment for sleeping in class seems pretty counter-productive..._ She thought for what had to be the eightyth time that day. The bright, shining sun and clear sky did little to raise the girl's spirits as she slowly walked along the neat suburban neighborhood. Molly's eyes were downcast as she looked forward to getting rid of the heavy book-riddled backpack weighing her down and causing this trip to take that much longer. Despite lugging around so much, she had only managed to complete her science homework before her eyelids started to grow heavy sitting at the desk in front of a teacher she's never met before. The rest of her Saturday detention was spent struggling-and failing-to follow the words on the pages of her assigned reading without passing out then and there.

Fingers pinched the bridge of her nose as she thought about running the store while her dad spent his time having fun far from home. As usual. Ever since the night of mayhem at the museum, she had been trying to take small steps to be more confident and stand up for herself, though doing so was easier said than done. Giovanni had made it sound so easy. Being confident wasn't so hard when he was around. He seemed to bring out the best in her and it's thanks to him that she knew what bravery felt like. She brought up a hand to wipe away the blush rising in her cheeks when her thoughts kept gravitating back to the eccentric man she had met. He was loud and his soup powers were honestly pretty silly, but he was capable of getting them out of some tough situations. Molly wondered if he had been locked up by law enforcement by now. The thought only brought a dry, quiet laugh that seemed to only make her mood worsen.

"-Olly!"

Molly's train of thought stopped and her sleepy pace came to a halt. The sound that had snapped her out of her thoughts had been repeating for a while now. Her head turned to the street, but the world was quiet; despite being a perfect Saturday afternoon, there was hardly a soul outside. All the kids were inside playing games and the parents were doing whatever parents do. Probably having fun while leaving their kids with all the responsibilities around the house.

Molly felt the back of her hair squish for a brief moment before hearing a clang against the pavement. Her hand idly felt the back of her head as she looked down at whatever had been thrown at her.

An empty tin can stopped mid-roll when it met the resistance of her shoe.

Tomato basil soup.

She shifted her gaze up as she turned around to face the quaint, suburban houses that sat neatly in long rows. Lawns were vibrant shades of green and the same could be said for the many meticulously maintained shrubs that were peppered around the yards in various fashions. Most of the families didn't see a need for fences outside of aesthetic purposes meant to fulfill their perfect Adult Fantasy. Whatever that meant. Dad mentioned his adult fantasies now and then, but they just made her abandon whatever task she was doing and leave the room, not quite fully grasping what he was saying, but knowing full well these were things he should keep to himself. She snapped to attention when her gaze caught a tuft of pink in a bush between two polished houses. 

Molly squinted to see Giovanni's expression change, noticing he had finally gotten her attention. An arm shot out of the hedge and it motioned for her to come closer. The girl started walking, stepping off the hard concrete and onto the lush grass of a stranger's yard. He was actually pretty far away. Did he..hit the can with his bat to get it to reach her? The outstretched hand made a "Stop" motion, and pointed down near her feet. Oh, right.

She picked up the tin can and brought it with her to the occupied bush, other hand subconsciously tightening around her backpack strap. Giovanni's facial features became clearer as she arrived, and he wore the trademark grin she had come to associate him with during their time at the museum. 

"Beartrap! Hey! Quick, in here!" His expression turned slightly more serious as his eyes squinted and darted around, but the smile stayed. "Before anyone sees you!"

Molly took one look at the grown man who had hidden ninety percent of his body in a shrub. "I...don't think I'm going to fit. How about..." She got behind the bush and against the side of the house before crouching down to meet his level. The small string of adjacent hedges were enough to hide her hair, but she pulled her bear hood over it anyway.

"That works too! Okay, listen Beartrap, I'm laying low for a while. Thanks to my incredible wit and heightened senses--!" His voice grew noticeably louder to accentuate his greatness and Molly rose a finger to her lips, effectively shushing him so he wouldn't blow his own cover. "--I gave the cops the slip, ran two towns over and made it here, into this unsuspecting bush!"

"The cops!? Again!?"

"Not so loud, Beartrap." He hypocritically chided before somehow leaning back to get into a more comfortable position on whatever branch he was perched on and put his hands behind his head non-nonchalantly. His elbows were sticking out. "All I have to do is live in the greenery for a few days, get a change of clothes to make it back home in and bam! Home-free!"

Molly looked her friend over as he sat scrunched-up in leaves to give herself time to take in the absurdity of his plan. 

Giovanni's clothes were torn and tattered--probably from falling through a myriad of bushes and tumbling down hills on the way here. Where pieces of his clothes were missing, she could see he was covered in scrapes and bruises. In some places there was old, dried blood that had crusted over and in others there were fresher smudges of red. He looked like belonged in the wild, too. His hair was a disheveled mess and what remained of his clothes looked filthy, but the cover of leaves was concealing what was sure to be more wounds. Despite his confident demeanor, his eyes looked tired. He looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion right before noticing her. How long did it take him to get here? How long had he been running?

Molly felt a pang in her chest for her friend.

"Now, It is your task as my loyal minion to fetch me food and water when I need it! Which is now. And probably in another two hours, too. If you're short on cash, I have some coupons-"

"Gio-B..Boss! You can't live in a bush for days! You look really bad.."

"Don't worry, It'll toughen me up even more than I already am!"

"But there's a caterpillar in your hair..."

"Lesson one! That, minion, is an _inchworm."_

Molly sighed and for a brief moment contemplated leaving him there. It's been a long day. She woke up to run the store, get ready for Saturday school, closed the store while she would be away and spent the next four hours forcing her eyes open in an almost empty classroom on a bright sunny day. She hadn't even gotten the chance to spend time with her friends. Nothing sounded better than flopping into bed and calling it a day at 3 in the afternoon. Instead, she stood, took a step back, and held out her hand. 

"You can get food and water and all that at my house. It's safe, has furniture and you wont have to worry about coyotes..." She trailed off in that usual soft voice as she tried to put on that encouraging smile that he always wore so effortlessly.

His smile faltered.

"Beartrap, I wouldn't want you getting mixed up in things again. If you house a criminal, that makes you complicit in my crimes!"

"It's okay. Worst case scenario, you can just say you kidnapped me again--like you did in the museum!"

Giovanni looked down and muttered under his breath. "The implications of this would be much, much worse..." His face scrunched into a sneer before Molly shook her hand mid-air in front of him, bringing his attention back to her.

"I'm your minion! And...and as your minion, I'm gonna help you! Because you're my..." She faltered, the word 'friend' nearly leaving her tongue. "boss...?" She imaged her little motivational speech sounded pretty lame, but Giovanni's eyes lit up.

He took her hand-despite hardly needing it-to free himself of the brambles and get on his feet. His voice was a roar as he spoke. "You're _right!_ We look out for each other! That's what it means to be a part of the Banzai Blasters!" The last word was accentuated with an elongated, high-pitched wail near the end. His hands quickly went to cover his mouth at immediately noticing his mistake, comically slapping his own face in the process.

Molly couldn't help but laugh, and for the first time in weeks, she felt weightless.


	2. Tracked through the woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear friend told me about moderated comments, so I'll just use that to filter the needless ones out from now on.

The two used the cover of expensive backyard plant life to make their way to Molly's house. Giovanni took this as an opportunity to display what he called his "Highly honed ninja-acrobatics!" as he tumbled head-first into a young tree just starting to bear fruit. Molly stopped to giggle at the scene, knowing that the Banzai Blaster wasn't hurt. A single fruit fell on his face for good measure and Molly broke into a fit of laughter.

"J-Just like I planned! And look, a lemon!" Giovanni chimed as he picked up the offending fruit and rose to his feet. "Lemons are good luck, y'know!" He shoved it unceremoniously into his pocket and started to walk forward once more, wordlessly prompting Molly to follow.

"I don't think so, boss." Molly stifled the rest of her giggles to smile at the man, doubting his knowledge of lemon lore.

"Hey, I'd say the day is already taking a turn for the better, don't you think?" Giovanni said as he turned to her with a wide grin that crinkled his eyes.

Molly stared and she felt a tightness in her chest. Despite his torn clothes, scratched face and earthy smell, he was so bright. He looked like he belonged in a beautiful day like this, in this moment, he felt like the sun and she was starting to feel warm from being next to him like this. Molly turned her head away from him as they crossed into yet another freshly-mowed backyard, keeping her gaze on the houses to her left and all the intricate details that adorned them. Now wasn't the time to blush, especially when he was right beside her. With creased brows and a wavering frown, Molly did her best to will it away with sheer determination alone. _Think about all the work you'll have to do when you get home. Think of all the messes you'll have to clean. Think-_

There was a slight stiffness on her back and her head snapped to turn to Giovanni with wide eyes.

"Beartrap, let me carry this for you! It's the least I could do for taking me to your place." She blinked. His hand was holding the carrying strap of her backpack. When did she stop walking alongside him? Would he believe her if she told him she stopped to admire the view of the back of her neighbors houses?

Before a feasible lie could be formed, Giovanni had let go of her book bag to walk in front of her and crouch down to get on her level. He winced at the movement for a split second before a concerned look replaced his features. A large hand settled itself on her shoulder and the girl nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Beartrap, you...feeling alright?" Molly's face turned a deeper shade just from hearing the words so close to her ears.

"I, I, w-well..." She stammered. Her eyes darted away from him and back towards her neighbors...house...!

"M-my neighbors!" The small girl's voice rose in pitch and Giovanni blinked in surprise, but his hand didn't move. Her full attention went back to the person in front of her and she hoped he wouldn't be able to feel the heat coming from her face as well.

"My house is really close by! It's fine! Let's go!" Without a second thought, Molly ran from his hold and towards her house, making a beeline through the space between two houses and back to the openness of the sidewalk. She darted down the pavement and crossed streets, not looking back to check to see if her friend followed. The wind rushed against her face as suburban homes started to give way to smaller storefronts and commercial businesses. Muscle memory quickly brought her to the entrance of her family's store, but Molly's physical muscles threatened to betray her and caused the girl to steady her hand against the bright red brick of the storefront to catch her breath.

"So this is it, huh?"

Molly jumped and turned instinctively, putting her back against the wall as she continued to regain her stamina. The himbo's arms were crossed and head tilted back, his eyes fixed on the sign above them. "Blyndeff Toy Emporium. Gotta say, this place looks pretty cute!"

"G-Giovanni?! How did you...get here so fast?" She hadn't even heard him following her, let alone being close enough to get here at the same time.

A fanged smile spread across his face as he looked into the windows. The blinds were down, so there was nothing to see past the sun bleached toys sitting in the windowsill."I told you: ninja-acrobatics!" He beamed. He seemed pretty proud of himself for successfully keeping up and sneaking up on her. He was so childish sometimes, Molly couldn't help but envy him for it. Having caught her breath, she pushed herself away from the wall to step towards the front door, one hand in her pocket rifling for keys while the other pulled down her bear hood.

"Molly, wait.."

Key successfully retrieved, the girl looked back at the dirty man. His voice sounded smaller than usual.

"What about your dad...? Won't he have problems with you inviting a strange Banzai Blaster into your shop? Plus, I don't think me and him would get along well..."

Molly's usual frown returned and she went back to unlocking the door. "Don't worry, he's never home on the weekends...I think he goes off on trips to have fun then comes home Monday afternoon just to leave again." The sentence ended in a dry laugh.

Molly couldn't see Giovanni's face when he spoke next, but his tone had changed.

"What about you?"

Why did he sound angry?

She stepped past the threshold and into the dark, toy-filled room to turn around and face him as she put on a smile. "I'm fine! I usually just take care of the shop and cook when I'm hungry. No need to worry about me!" A nervous laugh echoed through the space as she eyed the featureless silhouette in front of her. Molly's head tilted to one side as she felt unsure if she had said the right answer. Small hands wrung at the hem at the lining of her coat but she found no comfort in the action. The girl usually found silence comforting, but why was this moment suffocating her and causing her throat to tighten?After a moment of stillness, Molly reached away to flip on the light switch. 

The movement caused Giovanni's frame to flinch right before the room was doused in light. The room was a wash of bright, childish colors. From blue walls to a green child-sized kitchen set, the entire space caught the eye. The entrance opened directly into the play area of the toy store on the right and the cashier's section on the left. There were no stray gadgets left lying about, however; it looked like every toy was put away in its proper place, the shelves were properly stocked and even the carpet was without a single stain. It was all grueling, endless work, but Molly's mom left it behind in her (father's) care, and she refused to let all of her mother's hard work go to waste.

Her eyes didn't leave Giovanni, however, and his hadn't left hers, either. The man's face was adorned with a smile she hadn't seen before. It was gentle. Soft. But there was something more to his expression, something she couldn't quite reach. She wanted to find out--to ask him, but any words she tried to muster caught in her throat. It was so inviting. It was warm.

"Hey, hey!" Giovanni sputtered out and he quickly closed and locked the door behind him to kneel in front of Molly as the girl slowly became wracked with sobs. She couldn't keep her body from shuddering as her vision went cloudy. Small hands tried to wipe away tears that wouldn't stop. Her body just wasn't listening to her.

Giovanni took his time to pull the twelve year old into a tight hug, embracing her and giving the girl a shoulder to cry on. He was warm.

An attempt at telling him this turned into another fit of crying as she felt overwhelmed for reasons she didn't understand. She wanted to stay like this and to disappear. Everything inside her hurt each time a wave of fresh tears flooded her vision. Small fingers held tight onto the back of Giovanni's uniform, clutching him as if it were the only thing that could keep her from coming apart.

A hushed voice filled her ears. "Shh..It's okay. Don't worry, Molly. I'm going to pick you up, okay?"

The question barely registered, but she made a small noise amidst the whimpers. She just wanted to stay close to him.

He shifted to carry her and Molly felt herself curl up tighter in his arms, keeping her eyes tightly shut so she can just stop existing. The familiar weight of Giovanni's hand slowly ran through her hair. It all felt like too much. She was barely aware that they were moving. The sound of shoes on carpet changed to the sharper noise of walking on hardwood indicated that he had left the front of the store and went further into the house, finding the staircase to the living space behind an unlocked door. The feeling of ascending steps was upsetting for reasons beyond her, and her hand found itself tightly holding the front of his shirt to make sure he wouldn't break away. She didn't want him to leave.

Eventually the movement stopped before slowly starting again, walking to the right-dad's room-before turning around and heading left. The sound of a door creaking open and muffled footsteps on carpet led to the familiar smell of flowers and honey. These scents mixed with the earthy smell of the tattered Banzai Blaster uniform, but they seemed to mix so well. It felt right.

Molly could feel Giovanni ease closer to the carpet and settle his back against the bed frame while still being held tightly in his arms. Molly nuzzled into his chest, wanting the scents to mix and it all to make sense. The tremors shaking her body slowly came to settle, and it left her so tired. The warmth around her was comforting as hot tears were buried in the folds of torn fabric. Her eyelids relaxed when a warm hand rubbed her back.

It was all so warm.

It was nice.


	3. Setting the snare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the ones who leave positive comments, replies & Kudos: Thank you <3

Molly sat cross-legged, completing the circle of giggling and whispering children. The girls sitting on either side of her noticed the obviously unhappy expression she wore, but they pretended not to notice as long as she played their game. It was them who convinced her to be the last member to make the game "fair" but it was her dad who dragged her out to Jimmy's birthday party in the first place. She didn't even know Jimmy! She vaguely remembers his face from the crowded hallways at school, but that was the extent of the presence he's had on her life.

All the adults were close friends with each other, and knowing the influence her dad had at grownup gatherings, they'll all be here for a while. The adult laughter that boomed past the closed basement door seemed to prove her point, but it brought her no satisfaction.

She only agreed to this to stop the loud goading from the other kids to join in on their fun. Molly brought her homework and textbooks to the party since this was one of the rare moments the shop was allowed to be closed-outside of school hours, of course- but they were were left open in the spot she deemed to be her study corner. The two girls who now sat by her sides told her to play with them so they could have an even number of boys and girls--despite Molly's attempts to politely turn them down, she found herself in this position.

Despite the room having no windows, Molly could tell the sun had already set. They had been here for hours.

A chorus of 'ooo's and laughter filled the air as the bottle caused another pair to kiss. _Aren't we young for this? This stuff is for highschoolers..._ She thought, keeping her eyes on anything but the scene before her. The walls were covered in paintings that she couldn't quite make out and the table in the corner had a large centerpiece of lilies--or were they orchids?

"Molly! Your turn!" A shrill voice rang out. Her gaze only left the far corners of the room to take the girth of the bottle between two fingers and spin. From what Molly could tell, she was the only one uninterested in all of this as she let out a yawn. She just wanted to go home and sleep. There wasn't a single boy at school that interested her--or any girl either, for that matter--so Molly planned on gently letting down whoever the bottle landed on. She didn't want to hurt any feelings, but she wasn't going to have her first kiss be in the basement of some place her dad dragged her to with someone she hardly knew.

The circle of pre-teens erupted into 'ooo's much louder than they had for the rest of the party. It shook Molly out of her senses as she eyed the bottle. It was pointing directly across from her. Her vision followed the direction to see someone much larger than anyone else in the basement space. Dressed in his polished Banzai Blaster uniform, Giovanni sat in a relaxed position looking straight at her.

Molly's cheeks darkened and her body sat up straight. He had her full attention, but the teen didn't move from his spot. 

"Hey Beartrap." The words dripped from his lips like honey and the fanged grin sent a shiver down her spine. When did his voice get so deep? He wasn't moving toward her, but instead waited to see what she would do next. He was letting her make the first move.

Shaking legs brought Molly to stand, but she couldn't move closer. He was staring her down with a wild look in those golden eyes. It was almost animalistic.

"G...G-Gio-" Molly sputtered, but she was quickly cut off by the sounds from the crowd. "Go!" "What are you waiting for?!" "Hurry up!" "Come on!" Everyone shouted at her all at once. They were so loud. None of them would stop berating her and the girl cupped her hands over her ears, but it had no effect. They were still yelling. Screaming at her. It felt like the noise was getting into her head and slowly splitting her skull when her knees started to buckle. She was staring at the floor, frozen like a deer in the headlights under their pressure. It took everything in Molly's power to steal a glance back to Giovanni.

He was kneeling where he once sat, one leg forward and one behind him as he held out a hand to her. His expression wasn't primal or intimidating, it was a look that one would only give to the person they cherished. He was patiently waiting for her, letting her move with her own two feet.

The kids nearest Molly started to reach their hands out to push her, but where their black masses of fingers made contact with her coat, she felt intense pain. Her back stung as if burned by hot irons and her body jolted a step forward. Her breathing was heavy as hands started to close in on her and she took another look at the tallest figure in the room. He was still kneeling, keeping his eyes on her. Molly took a step forward and both of his arms outstretched, welcoming her. "It's okay, Molly. I'm here."

She broke out into a sprint and the journey to reach him felt like miles in seconds. It took eternity to take a single step, but the instant she was close enough, she jumped forward to leap into his arms amidst an oncoming sea of blackened screams.

He caught her and held her close as the two fell back, but the worry instantly melted from her. Their bodies were flush as his arms wrapped around her protectively. She buried her face in the crook of his neck as they fell, and a hand rested on the back of her head. The scent of the earth filled her senses as Molly felt the warmth from him blanket her, and despite the fall, she felt calm.

Molly opened her eyes to find they were floating in the clouds. She moved her head from his neck and his hold on her loosened. Giovanni's features were painted with the shades of soft yellows, pinks and reds that reflected off the clouds with the setting sun on the horizon. His smile was just as blinding as pink hair floated gracefully around him, dancing in the rainbow of lights. She cupped his face in her small hands and noticed how such angled, masculine features could also be so soft.

The girl let out a breathy laugh as tears she hadn't realized had been shed left a sparkling trail behind them. Her eyes were locked onto his, being able to see him just as clearly as the night they met.

"Giovanni," Molly was breathless.

"Yeah?" His smile was unwavering.

"You should see your face right now."

With a light scoff, his voice was back to how she remembered.

"You should see yours!"


	4. Under the waterfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: wounds..?

It's been one hell of a day. Giovanni watched various Banzai Blasters get rounded up like cattle and herded into cop cars only for him to make a tactical retreat into the woods--which then took a steep drop into thorny bushes he wished he had never known existed. At least it made sure he wasn't followed. Plus, everything that happened led him to running into Molly. She was around just when he needed her most, and from the looks of things, she probably needed him just as much.

Sitting on the floor with his most precious minion curled in his arms wasn't how he imagined his day would end, but it was a moment he'll treasure for the rest of his life. She was so small and vulnerable and she showed the most intimate parts of her to him. She trusted him.

Just thinking of it made his heart swell and the man had to reign in a manly tear from leaving his eye.

After Molly's breathing evened out, Giovanni carefully stood as he carried and placed her on the bed. Long, nimble fingers unbuttoned her coat and slid off her boots without waking the little girl. He pulled back the covers before gently picking her up and lowering her down with her head on the pillow. He covered Molly in the soft covers and took a moment to watch her sleeping expression. She looked more relaxed than she had been all day; despite his best efforts to cheer her up on the way here, she still looked so troubled. He guessed thinking about how her dad treated her was her breaking point. That was enough to tip over all the emotions she kept under the surface. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve any of this.

Giovanni slid back to the floor to sit at her bedside. His hands covered his face as if he could hide from the reality of the situation, and it was only then he allowed tears to fall. He bit his lip to keep himself silent as he let these feelings surface. As long as Molly didn't see, that was all that mattered. He was doing his best to be strong for her but everything was so hard to watch. His little girl fell apart right in front of him and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. _What kind of home-life is this? What kind of father does this to his child?!_ The questions filled Giovanni's mind but he just couldn't come up with any feasible answers as to why this would ever be acceptable. Her father had failed her.

Which meant Molly needed him that much more.

He decided to give himself a few more minutes to cry before getting himself together. It was still early in the evening and he doubted she would stay asleep for too long. She needed him and he was currently in no state to soothe her. It was as simple as that. After digging the balls of his palms into his eyes, Giovanni slowly stood. 

He needed to get cleaned up, to set a good example. The man hoped she wasn't disgusted by the state he was in when she found him. Giovanni slid off his boots to quietly walk out and into the hallway that connected the two living spaces. His fingers traced the wall as he searched for what he must not have noticed on the way to her room. 

Ah. There it is.

Directly in front of the stairs was the closed door to a linen closet which Giovanni slid open and procured a towel and washcloth from its depths. He took his time in closing the door and walked to what had to be her father's room. He gave the doorknob a turn--to meet unyielding resistance. Locked. He had tried opening it when looking for Molly's room but had met the same outcome. Giovanni had half a mind to take out his bat and break down the door, but all that would achieve is wake his sleeping Beartrap.

Her room was small, but he noticed a door that led to what had to be a personal bathroom when he arrived. The man backtracked to her room as he slipped past Molly's sleeping form and into her bathroom. The door shut behind him with the slightest 'click' as he flipped on the light.

Giovanni stood before a small bathroom that seemed fit for a twelve year old. He faced a mirror atop a sink that towered over a green frog-patterned step stool. To his left was the toilet--complete with a pastel yellow seat cozy with a cute bear in the center--and finally the shower that could double as a bathtub. The towel landed on the toilet cover with a soft thump as he braced himself for all the possible noises the shower could make when it was turned on. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her up, but this had to be done.

A cautious hand took hold of the hot water knob and started to turn. Miraculously, the shower was nearly silent as it came to life. Water sprayed the tub floor without unnecessary noise and Giovanni breathed a sigh of relief. He took a moment to look himself over in the mirror as he disrobed. 

The sharp triangular armor he usually wore on his shoulders had long fallen off, lost in the woods somewhere between this town and the next. The top of his uniform was torn in various places and exposed bloodied skin underneath; pretty bad, but fixable. The once brilliant yellow color lost its vibrant hue, especially since there was more green and brown than gold. His gloves were in much worse shape since they bore the brunt of his falls and climbing through thorns. His whole hand was nearly exposed as the fabric couldn't stand up to the wear and tear he put them through. The shirt and gloves were quickly tossed to the floor and it only took a brief glance to determine the rest of the suit was unusable as they were slid off his body to form their own dirty pile.

He supposed it was time for a new uniform anyway.

Giovanni stepped into the shower, feeling that the water was finally hot from the humidity in the air. He winced as wounds were stung with water and he leaned back against the wall, allowing the upper half of his body to avoid the spray. He looked down and started to pinch certain raised, red areas that weren't scabbing over. The man bit his lip as thorns that lay lodged in his flesh popped out and fell against the slick floor. Thankfully there weren't too many, but it hurt like hell to get them out. A particularly choked cry seeped out from him when a more persistent thorn had to be pulled out and he tilted his head back against the tile wall, closing his eyes to calm down. _I always get myself in these kind of messes, huh?_ He thought to himself. 

Wet hands ran through his hair, effectively pulling back strands that had stuck to his face as his eyes stayed shut. Giovanni thought of what he was doing all of this for: the good of the Banzai Blasters, to rise in the ranks to become a respected Baron, to be there for Molly.

Molly.

He exhaled, his chest cresting slightly at the action. He was doing this for Molly. He wanted better for her, to be a shoulder she could cry on and have the power to change things. He wanted to be able to scoop her up and take her away from this life, to plant sweet kisses on her lips to stop her tears, to be able to wash all the fears away and--

Wait. What?

Giovanni's eyes shot open and eyebrows knit together. _I like Molly, but not like THAT!_ His mental voice screamed, and yet the thought of keeping her safe in his arms as she holds a hand to his cheek, moving her face closer to his, inch by inch...

Giovanni's arms flailed around wildly to shoo away the mental images that caused him to nearly slip, fall and die in a shower. He slapped his cheeks, squishing them between his hands to rid this train of thought. "What the _hell,_ brain? She's a kid! She's basically five!" He angrily whispered to himself, covering his mouth with one hand while the other steadied him against the wall. 

The hot shower must have gotten to him. Sure, he loved the idea of Molly being his, protecting her from anything that could ever harm her and having the girl to himself as he raised her to follow in his Banzai Blasting footsteps, but...

The thought of kissing her was...

A shudder ran up his spine and his cheeks flushed further. Not the response he wanted his body to make.

She was incredible. She was smart and strong. He wanted to be able to give her love and affection in every way he could. To make her blush like she had when they were walking through the backyards. He squeezed his eyes between two fingers. God she was cute! She was so flustered and adorable and he's only noticing it now! 

Giovanni slid against the wall to sit on the floor of the bathtub, hot water soaking every inch of him in the process. He looked up at the ceiling.

"I'm going to jail..." He whined before smacking both hands on top of his mouth. _Okay! Wait! I've never had these...thoughts about anyone so young before. I've never even looked at kids that way!_ He nervously chuckled aloud. _So I cant be like this. I just want to protect her, as all!_ A pitiful, crooked smile grew on his face as he struggled to convince himself of this, but it fell when he realized wanting to protect her and falling in love with her was hardly mutually exclusive. 

Love. 

Golden eyes stared at the tiles on the wall. He was sure that he loved her. He cared more deeply for Molly than he did for any of his other minions. But was he...In love with her? How was that even possible? She was an amazing kid in such an unfortunate situation. She should have all her troubles taken care of and all her problems kissed away. Molly deserved nothing but the best, and he seemed like the only one in the world willing to become that for her...to put everything else aside and make sure her every wish is fulfilled.

His head fell to his hands.

Well, shit.

Giovanni pulled his head from his hands, balling them into fists as his eyes were alight with sudden determination. _No matter!_ His inner voice was a valiant scream. It didn't matter how he felt, he wasn't going to burden his Beartrap with any of these feelings. She would never have to know and he wouldn't act on these thoughts, so for now until he opens the bathroom door, he'll allow himself to feel the warmth that accompanied them. 

Yellow eyes looked around the bathtub ledge to find the soap so he can finally make some progress but he noticed red above him and tilted his head back to investigate. A large coat of red smeared the tile wall that he had leaned down to where he sat on the floor.

That was going to need stitches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter tested my patience


	5. The wounded buck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: sewing

The soft noise of the shower stopped and Giovanni stepped out. He slicked his hair back with his hands and grabbed the towel to dry himself off. He really wanted to avoid getting blood on it, but this was a necessary evil that just had to be done. He'd like to hide it from Molly but there was no use at this point. She had to already know that he was in pretty bad shape when she first laid eyes on him. It was fine, anyway. Chicks dig scars. He folded the towel and placed it on the floor in the farthest corner from the amenities. In turn, he picked up his boxers, thanking the heavens that it wasn't torn to shreds like the rest of his uniform--and that it was somehow still the cleanest article of clothing he was wearing--and put them on. This was just until he had all his wounds patched up, then he'd get some clothes from...somewhere.

The medicine cabinet behind the mirror was empty. Not a single medical supply in sight. Well, except for a few cupcake-themed band-aids that were scattered about; he considered their healing properties to be next to none and closed the cabinet. Giovanni rubbed his chin with a finger. If he were a first aid kit, where would he be... The silent atmosphere shattered when Molly cried out his name loud enough to be heard clearly through the closed bathroom door. Giovanni nearly jumped out of his skin before he turned on his heel and swung the door open.

"Whats wrong!? I'll kill him!" The man screeched without hesitation, eyes darting around to find the threat.

Molly was sitting upright in bed clutching the fabric over her chest and his outburst caused her to turn to him with wide eyes. Giovanni ran the short distance to her and--after confirming there was no obvious danger--sat next to her on the bed, cradling her head in his large hands. Her face was flushed and she was taking shallow breaths. _She feels warm! Is she sick!?_

"Molly! Tell me what happened! Are you feeling alright? Don't tell me you're dying from hunger! I should've fed you, I could've made you soup!" He was frantically going on and on, worried about all the possibilities as he looked her body over to check for any physical harm.

Molly was silent for longer than he would've liked and he looked back to her face--only to see she was a deeper shade of brown than before. _She's choking!? Thank god I took first aid training in the Banzai academy!_ He thought quickly. As he readied his hand to take hold of the girl, he stopped to look closer at her. She wasn't looking at his face at all. He followed her eyes to finally feel the hole being stared into his chest. Giovanni quickly remembered his current state of near-nudity and he covered as much of himself as he could with his arms.

"W-wait! Molly! This isn't-! L-look away!!" He wailed dramatically, breaking her line of sight with what he assumed to be his nipples. _W-why do I feel violated?! Is this sexual harassment?! Wait, isn't this backwards!?"_

When he started to move off the bed to put some space in between them Molly reached out to grab his arm, effectively holding him in place.

"Giovanni..." Her breathy voice made parts of him want to sing, but they were quickly thrown in a mental dumpster. The only giveaway was the slight blush rising to his cheeks.

"Yeah, Beartrap?" Was all he could muster. Her big green eyes looked straight into his.

"You're hurt. Have you had all these cuts the whole time? And some of them are bleeding!" Her face was filled with pity as the girl wore a small frown.

He blinked at her.

"Forget me, what about you?! I heard you call for me and I thought something bad happened!" His eyes shifted to look at the closed door to her room to make sure no one was standing menacingly in any shadows.

Molly looked away and spoke in a softer tone. "It was just a dream...."

_A dream...?_

Giovanni let out a sigh of relief. _A nightmare. She was woken up by a nightmare._ He chuckled to himself as a small smile grew on his face. He only saw the girl's quizzical look for a second before she was pulled into a tight hug, her face buried in his chest.

"Don't worry Beartrap...I'm here." He felt Molly pause until the girl started to lightly thrash against him. He loosened his grip on her and small hands immediately pushed against his chest, freeing her.

Molly took a dramatic breath of air and yelled. "Giovanni you're still not wearing a shirt!" 

She moved past him to hop off the bed and fled to the bathroom as he watched her with a confused look on his face. It took longer than it should for him to come to grasp what he had just done. He hung his head to hide in his hands and groaned. _I wasn't even thinking. How could I be so stupid! Great job, Gio!"_ He kept throwing whatever insults he could think of to himself until he heard the bathroom door shut. 

Molly came scurrying back into the room and he looked up from his pitiful hiding place. He looked down at her--and what she was holding--with wide eyes as the girl hopped back on the bed and sat directly across from him. Their knees were close enough to touch. 

Despite her flushed cheeks, her voice was stronger than it was before. "My mom always made sure I had a first aid kit in my bathroom! I've never used it myself so I'm not quite sure what's in here, but..."

Giovanni gave her a solemn grin as he gently took the red fabric box from her hands and unzipped it. He knew what this meant, but he really didn't want to do it. A part of him was hopeful that he wouldn't find it at all and he could just risk whatever infection he got to let it heal on its own. The man paused to ruffle her hair and give his minion a warm smile. "Thanks Beartrap, this is a huge help!" 

He went back to dig through the kit, picking out a curved needle and black spool of thread. His hands went to work unwinding the spool and threading the eye of the needle. He had done this more times than he could count. He and his minions often got injured on the job and sometimes a hospital was too far away to get to quickly. 

"Hey Beartrap, do you have a handheld mirror anywhere?" His tone had shifted to reflect his concentration as he started stitching up a wound on his chest that wouldn't heal as quickly on its own.

A few seconds passed and he turned his attention back to Molly without stopping the delicate thread-work. She was staring at his chest, lips parted in what was probably awe.

The trademark grin appeared on his face as he felt a sense of smugness well within him.

"What? Never seen someone stitch themself back together so quickly or skillfully?" He mused with raised eyebrows. 

She snapped back to attention and ran off to hopefully get the mirror in question. His minion had been acting weirder than usual, but it's a lot better than how she was when they arrived at her house. Maybe she was still getting over the nightmare. Giovanni tied off the thread and removed the excess. He threaded the needle once more to tend to another wound.

When Molly came back, he had cleaned, sewn, and wrapped gauze on nearly all the deep cuts on his body. She hopped back on the bed with a circular white mirror that was a little smaller than a dinner plate. He smiled.

"Okay, I'll stitch the big one on my back in the bathroom and then I'll only have one on my arm left!" He cheerfully said as he took the mirror and shifted to get off the bed. Stitching a wound on his back was going to be a pain, but he wasn't worried; it was just annoying to have to look through two mirrors and adjusting his movements accordingly. Before he could get up she held his leg down with her hands--much too high on his thigh for his liking.

Giovanni choked back a noise and looked at her in absolute bewilderment.

Molly looked determined as she stared him down, her mouth a straight line.

"I-I want to help!" 

"Wha..?"

"I know it has to be really hard to stitch your own back...so I want to do it for you! Teach me how and I'll do it! I'm a quick learner!" In her enthusiasm she leaned closer, causing her hand to press down and put more pressure on his thigh.

The wooden headboard of the bed nearly smashed to pieces when Giovanni's head slammed against it.

"G-Giovanni!?" Molly pulled back in both shock and worry.

His voice had crumbled. It sounded like he was close to tears as he left his head tilted back against the headboard. "Okay...okay Beartrap, you win. Take it..."

She eagerly took the needle and thread from his hands and started to thread it like he had.

Giovanni took the spare minute to collect himself. _Of course she didn't know what she was doing. She's pure and innocent!_ Despite just coming out of the shower, he felt more filthy than when he was living in a shrub. _Be strong, Giovanni...Be strong...!_

Quiet muttering filled the room. "No...nope...ahh..ugh..."

He slowly regained his normal posture to look down at the source of the noise. Molly's face was pinched in concentration as the tip of her tongue stuck out comically between her lips. She was struggling to thread the eye of the needle. It was to be expected, he supposed; she was new to this.

"Here, let me-"

"No It's okay! I can do it!" Her poking the twine at the needle became more frantic as she assured him. Giovanni smiled at the gesture, feeling more in love with this girl with every second.

"Hey, it's alright. You just have to take your time." He cooed, leaning forward and taking her hands in his. He focused on the action, gently guiding her fingers to meet in just the right way.

"Now pull the thread through."

He let go of the small hand holding the thread and she slowly moved it to pinch the end of the string, effectively threading the needle.

Her eyes lit up. "I...I did it!" A big smile was on her face when she looked up at him. "I told you I could do..." Her voice trailed off as she stared up at him, still holding one of his hands. Their faces were too close from leaning in to watch the needle.

"Ah..Giovanni..." It was barely a whisper.

He leaned his upper body back to sit upright faster than she could get another word out. "You did! I'm proud of you, Beartrap! Ready for the next step?" He rushed through the sentences and let go of her hand in favor of coughing into it. Molly paused but nodded energetically after a moment. The cuteness radiating from this girl was going to be the death of him.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down and steady his train of thought. He was going to need to focus. He swallowed his feelings to get to the task at hand. He was a teacher now, not just a boss. 

He tied the thread to the needle and made sure to do it slowly enough so Molly could follow along. Giovanni stretched his arm between them and steadied it by resting his elbow on his crossed knee. The cut going down his arm was deep but it thankfully missed any major arteries and was only about the size of his pinkie finger. Molly cringed at the sight.

"Okay, we're going to stitch up this arm first." His voice was soothing and he spoke with an air of kindness. "Watch me do it the first time..." He told her and stole a glance to see her face sternly pinched in focus. He shifted his gaze downward and did two stitches, running them through his skin and pulling the two halves together.

He handed the needle out to her. "Now you try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be a Very Long final chapter, but with life popping up, (just got a new job!) I couldn't work on this as much as I'd like to. So the super long chapter will be split into two or three so I can keep updating without making you guys wait for like a month. Thank you for your patience and support!


	6. One more step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tedious chapter is tedious. Thank you all for your patience, I love every single one of you!!!
> 
> tw: sewing

Molly took the needle and thread as if picking up a glass vase when she stared it down. This was important. Her friend trusted her enough to treat his wounds as well as being willing to teach her! She had to be careful! She leaned down to give the task her undivided focus as she turned the tip of the needle to point at his skin. No pressure. Breathe. 

The needle dove into his skin easier than she anticipated. She caught the sight of Giovanni's fingers twitching in her peripheral vision, but he didn't make a sound.

Instead, his voice was calm. "You went too deep, but it's alright. Pull it out fully and do it again. Let the curve bring itself down--then up again." He didn't move to take the needle from her; he simply watched and directed.

Molly nodded and took out the needle, making sure to ignore the blood on its tip. She tried once more with less force and the action of the curved needle going under the skin, over the cut and rising out the other side was smooth as it pulled the string through.

"Hey, nice! Good job!" He praised, tone light and airy as if he wasn't getting a botched operation from a child. She ignored the smile pulling at her lips and continued her work. Dive under. Rise on the other side. Pull tight. Tie and cut. Repeat.

When the arm was nearly finished, Molly felt more confidence in her actions as her hands glided naturally over his skin. Giovanni watched her thoroughly and only spoke to either provide guidance or praise her when she started to falter. She took care in checking to see if each stitch was tight enough and to cause as little harm to him as possible. She noticed, though, that that was easier said than done. Every time she glanced up at him when she had cut too deep or went too fast, he would do nothing more than smile and tell her how to correct her mistake. Other than his fingers twitching on the first stitch, the man didn't show any sign of pain or discomfort.

 _You should let me know if I'm hurting you..._ Molly thought with a frown as she finished the last stitch, having finally sutured his arm. Small brown hands held onto his arm to turn it slightly while she looked over her work. The side where she began showed her inexperience. It honestly looked pretty sloppy, but she hoped it would hold.

The arm under her fingers flexed as his hand balled into a fist. 

Molly turned red at the sight and her mouth hung open slightly in a protest that she was too distracted to voice.. Until now, she had been too preoccupied to take note of the veins just under his skin, or how it became taught when he stretched, showing off muscle definition she hadn't noticed before. He wasn't bulky, but he was clearly stronger than he let on.

The arm was gently pulled out of her grip before her train of thought could lead to further depravity. She instantly missed the warmth.

Giovanni held it proudly in the air to look over the stitch-work with that grinning face of his, flexing and relaxing the muscles of his arm to test their durability.

"Looks good! You're a quick learner, Beartrap!" He beamed. His smile could light up the whole room, but she interrupted his show of pride to grab his hand in both of hers. He went still at the touch.

"Wait! We still have to wrap it first! You cant just move it around...I don't think." Molly wanted to let him go, but a part of her kept holding on. She slowly lowered his hand to rest palm-up in her lap, his sealed wound on full display.

She took the gauze from the little red bag next to her and unraveled it. In an attempt to keep herself from looking up into glistening yellow eyes, Molly glanced at the small alarm clock that sat on top of her dresser. It was getting late.

She should tell him.

The girl's mouth wrung tighter at the thought. 

Giovanni showed her how to wrap the fabric around his arm properly, and it turned out to be much easier than stitching.

His voice flared with excitement. "Okay. Now's time for the real deal! You ready?" He rose from the bed and stretched, effectively throwing off her train of thought as she watched his bare chest expand. His torso was wide and inviting...almost like it was beckoning her to touch-

"Molly!" His shrill screech snapped her thoughts away from the muscled scenery.

"I-I am!" She stammered, she completely forgot what she was preparing for. She spun the needle between her fingers as she cautiously looked up at him, not letting her eyes pause at his abs.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, there was no grin on his face. In its place was a confused--almost pained--look. One eyebrow was comically higher than the other and the corners of his mouth pulled a straight line across his features. The man let out a sigh that made his shoulders slacken and head tilt to one side. He brought a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes for a moment. The gesture caused wisps of pink hair to cascade down his shoulder and fall into his face just enough to cover one eye. 

"Molly, we've gotta focus, 'kay?" 

This must have been worse than staring at his abs.

Giovanni's posture straightened as hands cupped his hairline and pulled the hair from his face in one sweeping motion. Molly bit her tongue to keep herself from screaming. She could feel her vision hazing over as her brain began to imagine all the things she wanted to do with him--to him? For him? What did she want anyway? The girl didn't have any experience when it came to things like this, but she had thought the YA novels she read would've prepared her for these situations. Her mind was blanking on any way to properly respond to him.

The vague figure leaned forward and clapped a hand down on her shoulder. Despite the fog in her mind, she could tell his face was close enough to touch. If she could just reach out to him and run her fingers through his hair like he had done to her...

Instead, small fists coiled the bed sheets at her sides.

"I'm counting on you, I know you can do it." The soothing tone of his voice and the taste of copper brought her back to reality. She wanted to melt as warmth spread across her face, to lean into the touch and hold onto him, but Molly pushed these feelings away. They were crowding her mind behind a locked door and the hinges were coming loose. 

_He needs me right now! I have to get serious!_

"I-I can do it!" She yelled with an unsteady smile and eyes that wouldn't quite meet his. Thankfully, it was enough.

With a curt nod and the return of his grin, Giovanni crawled onto the bed and sprawled out facing her headboard. He rested his chin on crossed arms atop her pillow as he laid flat on his stomach. After a moment of adjusting, he breathed a long, pleased sigh that made Molly inhale as she watched all the subtle movements he made. His words of encouragement still ringing in her ears, she shook her head free of whatever thoughts could dig themselves into her mind. _He must be really tired... I have to do this before its too late!_

She turned to face the man laying on the bed that was just long enough to contain his stretched out form, and took note of his injury. The cut was longer and deeper than the one on his arm--long enough to smile across both his shoulder blades--but it wasn't bleeding out. She could do this.

Molly tried to get in a position where she could mend the wound, but sitting next to him would make stitching him up much more tedious than working with an arm she could turn and position as she needed. After a moment of thinking, she took a deep breath and gathered her strength.

Her voice could only manage to squeak out as she started to reposition herself. "G...Giovanni, I'm gonna need to sit closer, so..." Molly trailed off as she rose to stand, her weight shifting slightly to accommodate her footing on the plush blankets. She lifted one leg and brought it down on the other side of him to stand directly over his lower back. The bed creaked slightly with the pressure.

Molly looked to Giovanni to spot some form of protest--to see if he was in the midst of telling her to stop, or that he had a better idea--but all she could do was eye the back of his head. Save for the slow rise and fall of his back, he was unmoving. _Okay. Alright, then._ She took that as her cue to get on with it and the girl sunk down, letting her legs bend ever so slightly to inch her closer to the broad figure that lay on her bed. Molly held her breath as she sat on his lower back and steadied herself by putting both hands on his bare back as he shifted slightly.

The heat radiating off of him was almost overwhelming. In her surprise, a blush rose to her cheeks as she involuntarily squeezed her legs together--and the small of his back in the process. The body under her jolted in response and nearly bucked her off in the process. Molly gasped at the strange sensation before covering her mouth with her hands.

"Wh-What the hell!?" Giovanni's voice was more out of breath than she had ever heard it before. She could tell he still had half a mind to throw her off by the way he nearly turned on his side to look back at her and propped his upper body on one elbow.

"Gio, I-I just needed to get closer to work on the stitching...! I, uh..!" She looked down the ridge that ran down the length of his back, only interrupted by the open wound. Did she? Couldn't she have just worked on him from where she was sitting? Even then, there was no real need to sit directly on top of him, right?

She gulped and kept her eyes downcast as her eyes flitted from her hands to the muscles under them.

"Uh..uhm..."

A moment passed as she kept her gaze fixated on the skin under her, refusing to look up at him.

The room was silent.

She felt him shift again and heard what must have been his head hitting the pillow and her peripheral vision revealed he had gone back to lying down like before.

His voice was muffled by the pillow. "...Okay."

Molly watched the back of his head for a second-wanting nothing more than to see his expression-before getting to work on his back. The beginning stitch-work went much smoother than the first time, and she felt comfortable enough in her newfound-abilities to multitask.

"Gi..." She hesitated. "...ovanni..."

The head of pink hair shifted slightly, but he was still facing the headboard of the bed. Maybe that would make this easier.

"Yeah?"

"I just...want to say thank you...for everything you did today. It was nice." Her mouth tightened as she recalled the events of the day. It started out so simple.

There was a soft chuckle as she felt him exhale. 

"It's no problem, Beartrap. You helped me just as much as I helped you. I was ready to sleep in someone's bush, for heck's sake. You basically rescued me..." The breathy, irritated tone from before had dissipated completely. Now, his voice was almost a whisper against the pillow he held so tightly. It sounded like his confidence had all but faded away.

She kept a careful eye on the stitches as the wound started to close thanks to them. Maybe he wasn't used to being thanked like this, even from his other minions. A small smile crept onto her face and her eyelids lowered slightly. She was so grateful to have him.

"Ever since I met you, I've started feeling better about myself! Even though it may not seem like it... I do try to stand up for myself more, though."

He let out a pleased hum, but otherwise didn't interrupt.

"And whenever you're around, things are always so interesting!" The sentence finished with a lighthearted giggle as the weight of her feelings started to fall off her shoulders.

She pulled another stitch taught and tied off the end.

Her smile widened as she went on. "I was happy with just getting a good nights sleep and finishing up my homework, but when I'm with you, I don't even think about those things! Well, usually because our lives are in danger, but still...!"

She could feel how flushed her cheeks were, but she couldn't stop herself from going on and on. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so excited about something.

"Being your minion isn't so bad. I'm learning a lot, too! I've gotten better at using my epithet because of the night we first met, and now I know how to sew, too! Oh, that was the last stitch!"

Nearly every moment she spent keeping up the toy store had been coupled with her evaluating her feelings toward the teen and then fantasizing scenarios of the two. He troubled her thoughts and visited her in her dreams, but she made every effort for it not to show. All it took was one day with him for it all to unravel.

"Giovanni, I..." She looked to him, only to see the same wash of pink hair against peach skin. He hadn't moved from his spot, not even to look at her. She craned her neck to one side and leaned her body to try to get a glimpse of his features, but his face was engulfed in the green pillowcase.

"Giovanni...!" She yelled, but the man wouldn't face her. _Okay. No problem...!_ She steadied her resolve and stepped off of his back to crawl toward the headboard until she sat next to his head. The only part of him she could properly see was an ear, the rest of him either covered by walls of crossed arms or the silk fabric of the pillow. 

This was something she needed to tell him to his face! This was the most important moment of her life, after all. She had to ride this wave of courage before she lost her nerve! He was the one who told her to stand up for herself, and gosh dangit, she was going to follow through for once!

Her small hands reached out to grab each side of his head, and after digging between crossed arms, she pulled him free. Molly did her best to hold him in place as she made him turn towards her, and his face was redder than hers could ever be. He looked surprisingly...helpless. Like a stray puppy that had just been brought in from the rain. His eyes were wide and dilated from being entrenched in darkness and the look of surprise was prominent on his face. Stray hairs were settling against his jaw-

 _Focus!!_ Her inner voice screamed.

"Giovanni!" She yelled. Her voice only wavered a little bit. It took all the courage she had not to turn this into an over-dramatic 'thank you' speech.

"I want you to be my first kiss!" She thought for a moment. "Please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Only one chapter left! I'd LOVE to make more Giomolly fics, but I'd like your help in deciding what kind of fic itll be.  
> So here's a strawpoll! https://strawpoll.com/d9azfehx It'll end on the day I decide to plan out the next fic, but I already have some ideas in mind. You guys would help in choosing one of those ideas c;


	7. Snap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy fic-anniversary ;3c

Giovanni wanted nothing more than to turn into soup and and get poured down a drain.

This couldn't be happening. He had only found out about his own feelings a few hours ago! Now this tiny girl was forcing him to face her confession head on and he had no way to distance himself from the situation.

_There was no way she could actually have feelings for me, though! It just wouldn't make any sense, she's just a little kid!_

Giovanni stared back at her with wide, unfocused eyes. His head was empty, but his mind was moving at a mile a minute. 

He thought about everything that happened--from the moment he caught her attention through the bushes to the here and now. She was sulking when they met up, but when he tried to kneel to her level and ask her what was wrong, she ran off in the other direction-he honestly didn't know such tiny legs could move that fast-but he was sure she just wanted to go home and get rid of that heavy backpack. 

No matter how much he had tried to deny it, when he walked out of her bathroom in only his boxers she was staring straight at his chest. He mentally yelled to himself: _Not that she had a choice...! I basically flashed the girl in her own bedroom!_ If his brain was connected to his body, he would've winced at how much worse that sounded now that he had thought it through. Instead, he tried to put the pieces together. Had she felt something for him all this time? He knew she was stealing glances at his body after his wounds came into view, but that didn't mean she _liked_ him. He needed to think things through before acting out like he did before. He thought someone had entered the room when Molly cried out, which caused him to expose his mostly-naked body to a twelve year old...

For the first time in too long, he blinked, but his eyes were still looking beyond the girl in front of him.

He had run out the bathroom because she called out to him. That's what made him so nervous.

But what he didn't notice at the time was how breathless she was. He thought the flushed look on her cheeks was from a bad dream. But now that he played the scene back in his mind, he was very familiar with waking up with that look on his face back when he was younger. Having only a mom, he kind of figured out that part of growing up on his own, and now it was obvious as to what was happening. Molly had her first wet dream.

And she moaned his name in her sleep.

"Oh."

"Giovanni?" Her timid voice jolted him back to the present and the grown man struggled to swallow. He couldn't stop himself from choking on his own spit.

"H-hey! Are you okay?" She let go of his face and helped him sit upright in her bed as he wheezed. By the time his coughing fit was over, he had gone completely red in the face.

He looked down at the girl with a nervous grin as he gestured wildly with shaking hands. "M-Molly, listen! You don't know what you're talking about, really!" His voice was back to the usual high-pitched sound that occurred whenever he was panicking.

Molly had lost her boost of self-confidence in the ordeal, which was good! Maybe now she could think clearly. Maybe now he could convince her how bad this was.

"I thought about it a lot and I would..." She trailed off, her hands bunching up the hem of her little brown coat.

"I would like it if you could...be my first kiss..." She kept her eyes on her fingers, not daring to look up at him. The fiery resolve from earlier had burned out-which was good news-but it hurt him to see.

"Molly, we can't. That's...something for boyfriends and girlfriends, or girlfriends and girlfriends, or, well, y'know!" It was hard to think of this as a teaching moment when his heart wouldn't stop hammering in his chest.

He watched her visibly inhale and her shoulders bunch up. Her voice was little more than a whisper, but it screamed in the dead air of the room.

"I-I'll...be your girlfriend..."

_Someone shoot me._

"Molly, no." He backtracked as he shook his head slightly at the notion--even though too much of him was on her side. "We cant-"

She looked like a kicked puppy. Her fingers wouldn't stop fidgeting and she kept her head down to watch them and he could've sworn he was watching her crumple right in front of him.

Giovanni was this close from tearing his heart out of his chest then and there. She pulled at his heartstrings like no animal shelter commercial ever could. He needed to turn this around and cheer her up somehow!

Giovanni extended a single, slender finger to hook under her chin and tilt her head up to look at him. "Molly, look. I love you, b-"

He just made the worst mistake of his life.

Big, owlish green eyes looked up into his, contrasted by the deep blush that stretched across her features. Her lips were parted slightly and he noticed the sparkle of hope shine in her eyes.

"B..uh.." He choked on his words. 

_'But you're just a little girl.'_

_'But I see you as someone to protect.'_

_'But this train of thought is extremely illegal and should stop immediately.'_

_Go on! Say it!_

He watched her mouth move as she spoke, her hunched posture straightening slightly.

"I...I love you too!" The sentence ended with a smile that replaced her sorrowful frown.

_Shit._

"Molly-"

"So please be my first kiss...?" Despite the waver in her voice, it was the first time she said it without stuttering since her outburst. 

A long moment passed between the two as Giovanni struggled and failed to think of a way to deny her request that wouldn't leave both of them heartbroken.

"Molly, I--You don't know what this kinda 'love' is!" Despite his protest, he didn't retract the finger under her chin.

"T-then please teach me...I'm a quick learner." He could tell she was doing everything in her power not to break their gaze, and she was just so cute. She was absolutely adorable and he couldn't deny that he felt butterflies when she said she loved him.

And Molly was right. She was a quick learner.

He hadn't noticed himself leaning closer to her until she was enveloped in his shadow.

His hushed words came out deeper than he intended--the tone he only used when he was serious. 

"One kiss, then."

Molly shuddered and gave the barest hint of a nod, her eyes already half-lidded, instinctively following his lips--or maybe she was just copying what he couldn't stop himself from doing all this time. This was just a teaching moment.

Giovanni took her chin between his forefinger and thumb to angle her just right as he closed the distance between them. His lips met the soft resistance of hers in a slow embrace as her eyelids fluttered shut. 

They sat perfectly still for a moment while he waited for her breathing to even out. Through half-closed eyes, he watched her pinched brows slowly relax and her posture followed suit. Giovanni wanted her to savor the experience before the thumb sitting at her chin slowly traced her jawline.

He tilted her head back an inch and the girl let out a muffled squeak of surprise when his tongue pushed past her lips, but she didn't edge away from his touch. He closed his eyes and trailed his tongue against hers, causing Molly squirm under him. It only took a moment for her to follow along, using her tongue to tentatively toy with his as their kiss deepened.

The little whimpers and moans from Molly vibrated in his mouth, resounded through his ears and pushed every coherent thought out his head. Giovanni's free hand found itself trailing under the back of the girl's dress to hold the small of her back and keep her steady.

This was no longer a teaching moment.

Molly's back arched at the touch and pushed her chest flush against him as he towered over her with his tongue down her throat. He was enveloped in how sweet she tasted and how his senses were filled with _her_. His bare chest was met with the heat of the girl's body even through her clothes, and a part of him wondered how hot she could get.

The hand holding her back trailed up along her spine to feel more of the soft skin against his fingers and Molly turned her head, pulling her chin from his grasp and effectively breaking the kiss. 

Molly breathed out Giovanni's name with what little air was left in her lungs and his eyes shot open.

If she were anyone else, he would've pounced on her and pinned her arms to the mattress. Instead, he peppered soft kisses to her exposed neck and listened to the little sounds she made. By the wiggling and cute noises and she made under his touch, he must have found one of the girl's sweet spots. He opened his mouth to nip at the nape of her neck when something caught his eye.

A faint glow of light sourced directly above him caused Giovanni to pause. He inched back to get a read on the distraction as he realized a number of multicolored lights coming from his minion's hair.

The sight of Molly, panting and flustered as each candy-colored star in her hair glowed softly around her was the light that broke through his haze. Her deep brown skin was highlighted in a variety of yellows, reds and purples and her half-lidded eyes looked longingly at him while she regained her breath in his arms. Giovanni felt like his heart could melt just from watching the scene.

She was showing him her most vulnerable side. She was small. And soft. And his. She trusted him, and--as much as a 12 year old could--she probably loved him.

The sharp edges of his desires smoothed over as he lowered his minion onto the bed and she didn't even have the energy to protest. Instead, the girl opted to lay sprawled at the end of her bed as she stared at the ceiling. Giovanni leaned back and supported his weight on his arms behind him so he could watch the steady rise and fall of her chest. Sure, he may have been just as hot and bothered as she was, but that hardly mattered to him anymore. He was going to protect his Beartrap from the world, from her father--from anyone out there who would dare hurt her. He was going to prove himself worthy of this love even if it killed him.

There was a long moment of silence--Molly blinking lazily at dancing lights on the ceiling and Giovanni watching her with a soft smile, more than happy to let her take it all in.

"Wow..." Molly breathed.

Giovanni was going to have a mental journey about this later, but for the moment, he allowed the weight of his actions to roll off his back.

"Yeah." He mused. "You didn't tell me your hair could go all...glow-y."

Molly shifted slightly, but made no attempt to get up.

"Yeah, that happens...sometimes..."

A comfortable silence stretched through the room, the only sound being the synced breathing of the two.

"Giovanni?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell me a story?"

The man smiled wide enough to crinkle his eyes. He leaned forward and scooped her up in his arms.

"Yeah, sure."

He laid Molly rightfully at head of the bed and bundled her in the covers. Giovanni opted to lay on top of the blankets to face his cocooned minion. This made up for them being so close, right?

He wondered why he even tried to justify any of this anymore.

"Okay, one story." He spoke softly as his playful tone returned. Molly quickly leaned forward and granted Giovanni a surprise kiss on the cheek. She then wriggled back in her bundle to look innocently up at him.

Her voice was all sunshine. "One kiss after one story." He could see her smile behind the blanket.

There was no way Giovanni's heart was going to survive the rest of the weekend. He ruffled her glowing hair and settled into bed.

He gave a low chuckle. "Okay, one more kiss after this story-- _if_ you're still awake by then!"

Her yawn was all the response he needed.

"You're on!"

"Okay," He couldn't help but smile at her sleepy eyes. Her blinks were already getting slower. 

"It all started with the Great Soup War..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for sticking with me for so long!!! The comments fueled me every step of the way and without you guys, this wouldve ended up to be some abandoned fic in the corners of AO3. This was an exciting journey and I loved every second of it! Writing fanfiction turned out to be really fun, and I want to make more for this ship!!  
> When it comes to future fics, I probably won't start uploading the chapters until im at least halfway done with the entire thing. I just /really/ hate making you guys wait like I did with this one. I have a tumblr with open anon-asks in case if you want to chat, [ https://gorehoundclown.tumblr.com/tagged/giomolly ]and I'm so glad to be able to feed y'all like this. 
> 
> To all the wonderful antis/fandom police who inspired me to start writing this in the first place, this is for you, too! c;
> 
> Thanks again! I see every kudos, comment and [third thing] that you leave and it warms my heart every time!!!!


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